Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The focus of this study is a reflection by an educational psychologist of a five year old girl and her use of art media during her therapy sessions. The rational behind art therapy is that underlying feelings and problems are brought to the surface through the interaction with art media and art production (Oster & Crone, 2004). This enables the client to perceive the problem visually and learn how to process it. Educational psychologists are not necessarily trained to do art therapy. However the use of creative media can form part of their practice. A principle of art therapy – to create a safe environment for the person to work uninterrupted, was used in this study. A qualitative ex post facto study was used to complete this research. This entails a study of an occurrence (a child‟s use of art media in therapy) after it has been observed by the researcher. The aim of this research was to study, by means of a case study, a five year old girl‟s interaction with art media such as paint, clay and felt-tip pens throughout her therapy process. The amount of time spent with media, techniques and colours used, symbols made, as well as verbal and non-verbal behavior was observed. The participant‟s therapy sessions and informal interviews with her mother were recorded on video. The videotapes were studied and field notes of these, together with personal records and the artistic products that resulted from her sessions were used for data-collection. In addition and to enrich the study the possible meaning of the symbols depicted were also discussed. Inductive data-analyses (bottom to top) were used to process the data. The researcher‟s perspective during the study was of a reflective practitioner. The description of the participant‟s interaction with art media showed that she became more involved with it as time passed. There were noticeable changes in her use of colour, techniques and media. A positive change in her verbal and nonverbal behaviour was observed towards the end of her therapy-process.

As rodas de artesanato são uma modalidade de atendimento psicológico baseada nos grupos vivenciais de orientação junguiana. Os aviamentos e outros materiais úteis para a prática artesanal são compreendidos como recursos expressivos, maleáveis e convidativos à imersão num clima psicológico de relaxamento, ludicidade, acolhimento, apaziguamento e partilha, propício à imaginação e transformação criativa. A interação das participantes com os recursos expressivos, com o grupo, com o contexto institucional e com sua realidade de vida mais ampla é compreendida como simbólica, comunicando algo sobre o self grupal. O estabelecimento de um enquadre terapêutico vivencial prioriza mais a convivência do grupo com os símbolos expressos, do que a interpretação verbal e a racionalização. Deste modo, as queixas, experiências, conflitos ou fantasias devem sobrepairar ao centro da roda, sendo respeitosa e democraticamente autenticadas como reais e relevantes. Nesta pesquisa, as rodas de artesanato foram formadas por mulheres que acompanhavam crianças e jovens com deficiências físicas em atividades numa escola de educação especial, inserida num centro de reabilitação física. Devido às especifidades do contexto, suas rotinas implicavam em aguardar o período de aulas no pátio, muitas vezes ociosas ou envoltas em conflitos interpessoais. Além disso, devido às limitações no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor dos filhos, à sobrecarga de tarefas e ao excesso de recomendações terapêuticas e pedagógicas, muitas viviam a inflação da identificação do ego com a persona em sua faceta de cuidadora. As rodas de artesanato foram propostas a fim de ampliar o enfoque terapêutico interdisciplinar ainda influenciado pela perspectiva médico-científica, revelando-se uma proposta maleável e sensível à identificação das necessidades da população atendida e aberta para a constelação de símbolos naturalmente indicativos de caminhos terapêuticos. Entre março de 2009 e março de 2010, foram realizados encontros semanais de uma hora e meia de duração, sendo o conteúdo transcrito para posterior confecção de narrativas. A discussão dos resultados visou à interlocução com a comunidade científica entremeando autores junguianos e estudos publicados em áreas afins como historiografia, ciências sociais, metodologia da pesquisa qualitativa participante e práticas em reabilitação. Os processos vivenciados nas rodas de artesanto indicaram que o respeito às preferências, escolhas, modos e tempos de agir, incentivam a busca por maior autonomia e a integração de potencialidades e habilidades negligenciadas, processos tão preconizados na prática clínica junguiana como no âmbito da reabilitação física / Arts and crafts activities may be used as a modality of psychological treatment based on Jungian-oriented experiential groups. Ornaments and other materials used in arts and crafts are understood as malleable and inviting expression resources for ones immersion in a psychological environment of relaxation, playfulness, acceptance, peacefulness and sharing, which is extremely valid for imagination and creative transformation purposes. Participants interaction with the expression resources, with the group, the institutional context and with their own reality, from a broader perspective, is understood as a symbol which provides indications on the group self. The establishment of an experiential therapeutic setting is more focused on the groups experience with the expressed symbols than on verbal interpretation and rationalization. The arts and crafts activities, developed in groups of people organized in a circle, will be hence permeated by each individuals complaints, experiences, conflicts or fantasies, which shall be respectfully and democratically authenticated as real and significant. In this study, these arts and crafts circles were comprised of women who accompany physically disabled children and teenagers during their activities at a special education school located in a physical rehabilitation center. Given the specificities inherent to the context, their routines implied waiting for the youngsters during class time, which was often spent either idly or amidst interpersonal conflicts. In addition, because of the limitations to their childrens neurological and psychomotor development, the overwhelming number of tasks and excessive therapeutic and pedagogical recommendations, many of these women experienced the inflation of the ego identification with the persona, as a caregiver. The arts and crafts circles were suggested in order to broaden the interdisciplinary therapeutic focus, still influenced by the medical-scientific perspective, and actually proved to be a flexible proposal which is open to the identification of the needs of the treated individuals and to the wide array of symbols that naturally indicate therapeutic pathways. Weekly sessions were held during one hour and a half from March 2009 to March 2010; the content thereof was transcribed for the further preparation of narratives. The discussion of the results was aimed at providing for the interlocution with the scientific community, using Jungian authors and studies published in correlated fields of knowledge such as historiography, social sciences, participant, qualitative result methodology and rehabilitation practices. The processes experiences in arts and crafts circles revealed that the respectful treatment given to preferences, choices, methods and time of action encourage the pursuit for greater autonomy and integration of potentialities and neglected skills, processes largely implemented both in Jungian clinical praxis and in physical rehabilitation

As rodas de artesanato são uma modalidade de atendimento psicológico baseada nos grupos vivenciais de orientação junguiana. Os aviamentos e outros materiais úteis para a prática artesanal são compreendidos como recursos expressivos, maleáveis e convidativos à imersão num clima psicológico de relaxamento, ludicidade, acolhimento, apaziguamento e partilha, propício à imaginação e transformação criativa. A interação das participantes com os recursos expressivos, com o grupo, com o contexto institucional e com sua realidade de vida mais ampla é compreendida como simbólica, comunicando algo sobre o self grupal. O estabelecimento de um enquadre terapêutico vivencial prioriza mais a convivência do grupo com os símbolos expressos, do que a interpretação verbal e a racionalização. Deste modo, as queixas, experiências, conflitos ou fantasias devem sobrepairar ao centro da roda, sendo respeitosa e democraticamente autenticadas como reais e relevantes. Nesta pesquisa, as rodas de artesanato foram formadas por mulheres que acompanhavam crianças e jovens com deficiências físicas em atividades numa escola de educação especial, inserida num centro de reabilitação física. Devido às especifidades do contexto, suas rotinas implicavam em aguardar o período de aulas no pátio, muitas vezes ociosas ou envoltas em conflitos interpessoais. Além disso, devido às limitações no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor dos filhos, à sobrecarga de tarefas e ao excesso de recomendações terapêuticas e pedagógicas, muitas viviam a inflação da identificação do ego com a persona em sua faceta de cuidadora. As rodas de artesanato foram propostas a fim de ampliar o enfoque terapêutico interdisciplinar ainda influenciado pela perspectiva médico-científica, revelando-se uma proposta maleável e sensível à identificação das necessidades da população atendida e aberta para a constelação de símbolos naturalmente indicativos de caminhos terapêuticos. Entre março de 2009 e março de 2010, foram realizados encontros semanais de uma hora e meia de duração, sendo o conteúdo transcrito para posterior confecção de narrativas. A discussão dos resultados visou à interlocução com a comunidade científica entremeando autores junguianos e estudos publicados em áreas afins como historiografia, ciências sociais, metodologia da pesquisa qualitativa participante e práticas em reabilitação. Os processos vivenciados nas rodas de artesanto indicaram que o respeito às preferências, escolhas, modos e tempos de agir, incentivam a busca por maior autonomia e a integração de potencialidades e habilidades negligenciadas, processos tão preconizados na prática clínica junguiana como no âmbito da reabilitação física / Arts and crafts activities may be used as a modality of psychological treatment based on Jungian-oriented experiential groups. Ornaments and other materials used in arts and crafts are understood as malleable and inviting expression resources for ones immersion in a psychological environment of relaxation, playfulness, acceptance, peacefulness and sharing, which is extremely valid for imagination and creative transformation purposes. Participants interaction with the expression resources, with the group, the institutional context and with their own reality, from a broader perspective, is understood as a symbol which provides indications on the group self. The establishment of an experiential therapeutic setting is more focused on the groups experience with the expressed symbols than on verbal interpretation and rationalization. The arts and crafts activities, developed in groups of people organized in a circle, will be hence permeated by each individuals complaints, experiences, conflicts or fantasies, which shall be respectfully and democratically authenticated as real and significant. In this study, these arts and crafts circles were comprised of women who accompany physically disabled children and teenagers during their activities at a special education school located in a physical rehabilitation center. Given the specificities inherent to the context, their routines implied waiting for the youngsters during class time, which was often spent either idly or amidst interpersonal conflicts. In addition, because of the limitations to their childrens neurological and psychomotor development, the overwhelming number of tasks and excessive therapeutic and pedagogical recommendations, many of these women experienced the inflation of the ego identification with the persona, as a caregiver. The arts and crafts circles were suggested in order to broaden the interdisciplinary therapeutic focus, still influenced by the medical-scientific perspective, and actually proved to be a flexible proposal which is open to the identification of the needs of the treated individuals and to the wide array of symbols that naturally indicate therapeutic pathways. Weekly sessions were held during one hour and a half from March 2009 to March 2010; the content thereof was transcribed for the further preparation of narratives. The discussion of the results was aimed at providing for the interlocution with the scientific community, using Jungian authors and studies published in correlated fields of knowledge such as historiography, social sciences, participant, qualitative result methodology and rehabilitation practices. The processes experiences in arts and crafts circles revealed that the respectful treatment given to preferences, choices, methods and time of action encourage the pursuit for greater autonomy and integration of potentialities and neglected skills, processes largely implemented both in Jungian clinical praxis and in physical rehabilitation

In the United States, approximately 7.7 million individuals are affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at any given time. Though women are likelier to develop PTSD symptoms, men are exposed to more traumatic events in their lifetimes. Empirically- supported PTSD options exist, however clinical application of these treatments may not consistently culminate in beneficial outcomes. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has demonstrated positive treatment outcomes for a variety of mental and physical disorders. Nonetheless, there is a lack of robust research related to the treatment experiences of men who have participated in DMT for trauma-related symptoms. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore this research gap. Focusing on adult male trauma survivors, the research question addressed the lived experiences of participating in DMT and the meaning ascribed to this involvement. Eleven adult male participants were interviewed via audio-recorded telephone interviews consisting of semistructured interview questions. Through a constructivist lens, the modified Van Kaam method of analysis was implemented revealing 4 emergent themes. The findings of this explorative study suggested positive PTSD symptom outcomes for all 11 participants including improvements in social belongingness, social acceptance, quality of life, and a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression. Accordingly, the findings of this research may help to advance social change through broadening clinical awareness of the beneficial neurogenic treatment advantages of somatic and creative interventions such as DMT for PTSD. Moreover, these findings may augment existing research related to movement- based treatment options for individuals coping with PTSD and trauma-related symptoms.

Stress has become an increasing issue in modern society, affecting the mental and physical health of individuals across all age groups and demographics. Therefore, innovative solutions that extend beyond traditional methods are required to reduce stress. Our study investigates the effects of immersive virtual reality (VR) environments on stress reduction by comparing them to non-immersive environments while integrating creative arts therapy and breathing exercises. The study uses a quasi-experimental design to observe two participant groups: one experiencing a VR-based intervention and the other a non-immersive control environment (Desktop). Each group data collection included pre- and post-exposure surveys and heartbeat variability measurements to assess stress levels subjectively and objectively. The results suggest that both environments can mitigate stress. However, the non-immersive environment has more statistically significant results in reducing stress compared to the immersive environments. This may be attributed to the overstimulation of immersive environments, users' readiness for the immersive technology, and the user experience offered by the VR headset employed in the study. Overall, this research highlights the potential of both immersive and non-immersive environments as modern tools for enhancing stress reduction. Future research could explore long-term effects and a more diverse demographic to better understand immersive environments' impact on stress reduction and management.